Pezzle

Along side cycling, I play ice hockey which is most likely where most of my injuries start. Many weeks ago I strained my groin after sliding on my crap skates (I've remedied the problem by upgrading my skates but that's a different thread). After a few weeks of rest, it felt fine and I went back to playing hockey. However, it seems easy to agitate. I can feel it twinge a little if I move my leg the wrong way at the wrong time.

Yesterday I got my new saddle and rode the longest I ever have, 10 miles, now that I could play with the height of the post as well. Somehow, I hurt my groin on the ride, presumably from over-extending my hip adductor. However, I do not feel discomfort on the downward thrust, and my knees are slightly bent at the fullest extension on the downard stroke of pedaling.

A) Can I presume I possibly hurt it over-extending my leg trying to reach the ground from the high-up saddle instead of the actual pedaling motion? I am not used to this. I am assume this is a Grade 1 because it's tight, not acute pain and I didn't feel it until after the ride was over.

B) I have basic, stock flat pedals. Would rat-traps help me to not yank on the hip adductor so much on the upward stroke? I am so not ready for clipless.

C) I don't think I do enough comprehensive stretching, that is probably keeping this from healing totally. What stretches can you all recommend for hip adductors? Without having access to isolation machines, what strengthening exercises do any of you know? Of all the things I forgot to do yesterday, the standing groin stretch was one of them.

I was ok with injury prevention but once I let it slip, it seems to be outrageously difficult to mend everything back together. My family doctor just says to rest and stretch everything I injure, but I don't know if I'm quite doing that right. Sometimes I wish I could just go to a physical therapist and have them guide me.

dahoyle

I'm somewhat confused. You suspect that you re-injured it by over-reaching(stretching), and think you might somehow help it heal by stretching. That makes pretty much no sense to me.

No, do not stretch it, until it heals. By all means, try to maintain your full range of motion, but not to the point that it hurts. This is not the time to extend your range of motion, because it already likely has micro tears in the muscle, and you want them to heal. After it has healed, then by all means, work on additional flexibility, slowly, over a long period of time. Stretching is somewhat over-rated as an injury prevention methodology, and can do more harm than good if done incorrectly. Being flexible is important, stretching prior to exertion, not so important. If you are inflexible, then a 15 minute stretching routing right before exercise will not improve your flexibility. That is done over a long period of time. Stretching is actually much more effective after exercise, than before, and much less likely to cause injury.

What is important, is warm-up. Let me repeat that. WARM-UP. Warm-up before stretching once you are healed enough to resume it, by the way, otherwise you are just asking for additional injury.

Pezzle

Yeah you're right, I didn't say much of anything that made sense. I realize now that I just have to SLOW DOWN and not do...well... anything. I can't lift my leg up off the ground more than, say, an inch before it hurts, tightens, cramps and shakes. So normal range of motion is right out. I'm literally swinging my leg like a peg to put weight on between steps, and that's it. I figured it'd be like this for the first few days again. This time I'm going to rest it PERIOD for two weeks instead of 3 days. No ANYTHING but normal careful limping around the store.

I am making an appointment with my doctor. Then I'm going to find someone who specializes in sports medicine. I have an acquaintance sort of friend who's a physical therapist, I'm sure he could recommend someone perhaps even himself if necessary. I want to get this injury plus my lower back DONE, out of the way, professionally taken care of plus advice and routines on how to prevent it in the future the proper way.

Sometimes I feel like I receive conflicting advice on the subject, which is most likely why my OP sounded so stupifying.

Pman

My understanding is that groin injuries can take a long time to heal.

eshvanu

You're on the right track. Have had both groin and adductor injuries, and the best thing I did was to sit on my butt a few days, then start some simple stretching and exercises. One of the physical therapists I saw gave me the key to recovery, for me. He said, "It's ok to hurt when stretching and exercising, just don't do anything to make it hurt more."

Pezzle

Phew, you've got that right. And I didn't realize just how much I use that muscle until I hurt it.

A small update: I got a pair of women's compression sliding shorts for softball. They actually seem to be helping my groin, because of all the compression they are putting on that area. I wish I could Ice it more today, but we don't have a freezer at work.

Carbonfiberboy 

I did something like that back in college, skiing XC. Not to bum you out or anything, but it took a couple of years to heal completely. But that was back in the day when coaches told you to run through the pain. I did a complicated 4" Ace bandage wrap that pulled the thigh in and forward - that helped a lot. Sort of like your compression shorts, but with direction. Just try not to do anything that makes it hurt. Once it starts to heal, that'll leave you quite a wide range of activities if you're careful.